The first half of Chapter 3 in the NGSS Framework discusses what scientific practice means and how that can be compared to engineering. General science mostly seeks to develop explanations for various phenomena, whereas engineering seeks to find a practical application for some need or want. Some themes I noticed in this text were the emphasis on keeping students engaged in the scientific process along with the importance of letting students make mistakes so that they can better understand real scientific inquiry that involves a constant process of evaluations, critiques, and revisions. I really appreciate the point of knowing why the wrong answer is wrong can be more beneficial for students to develop a deeper understanding of a topic than just knowing why the right answer is right. I think this is so important for students because to explain why something is wrong makes them not only know the correct reasoning but also engages them in argumentation and forces them to back up their thoughts and reasonings with evidences.
The Schwarz et al article discusses the importance of modeling in relation to practicing science and scientific literacy. The article stresses the need for scientific modeling to occur at all age levels so that learners can be engaged in gathering the knowledge needed to explain and represent phenomena. A theme I noticed in this article also corresponds to a theme within the NGSS Framework chapter we read; involving learners in modeling practices can help them build topic expertise, epistemic understanding, as well as expertise in the practice of building and evaluating scientific knowledge. I think this article has really important considerations for elementary and middle school science teachers. Introducing modeling at an early age is key for students to develop a scientific mind where they use evidences to back up claims and are able to reflect on why or why not a model works well for any given phenomena. This process needs to be taught and used often so that as students delve into more complex topics, their basic understandings and schemas do not need to be drastically altered like many students currently have to do. Simplifying or altering science for young students is too tempting for teachers but in the long run, it just hurts students’ abilities to deeply understand various phenomena. I think both of these articles are great references as to why the term “minds-on learning” is much more important to consider in lesson planning than just “hands-on learning.” Lessons need to be meaningful and productive for students, and modeling is a great way for students to fulfill that.
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